A man who threatened to rape and kill a garda, shoot her colleague and blow them both up has been jailed for two years.

Thomas Delaney (43) told the garda he would “get her on the other side” and follow her home from work when she wasn’t expecting it. “I’ll put a transmitter under your car and boom. Two pineapples, throw them in your window, get six rounds into your head. Bye, bye,” he told the garda.

Delaney of Walkinstown Crescent, Walkinstown was found guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of two threats to kill Garda Amanda King on January 20th, 2010 at garda stations in Santry and the Bridewell.

He was also convicted of threatening to kill Garda Patrick Whelan on the same date at the Bridewell Garda Station.

Judge Patricia Ryan suspended the last year of a three year sentence on condition that Delaney engage with anger management and alcohol treatment programmes.

Delaney was also found guilty of failing to produce a driving licence and driving without insurance on the same date in Applewood Village, Swords. He had denied all charges.

Garda King was on duty in a marked patrol car when she saw a car stopped in the middle of the road with no lights on.

Delaney was revving the car to its maximum. His eyes were bloodshot and he smelled strongly of spirits.

He told her he had been drinking and made a number of lewd comments towards her. After his arrest he became difficult to deal with and aggressive in the back of the garda car and had to be physically restrained.

Delaney told Garda King, “I’ll be waiting for you after work some night when you’re not expecting it. What are you going to do when the boys aren’t around to protect you? I’ll get you then.”

Delaney said he would rape Garda King and “take a bullet” to her, and she became worried that the threats could be serious.

When Delaney was brought to Santry Garda station he refused to provide a breath sample and kept up with the threats, telling Gda King he would find out her car details and follow her home sometime after work.

Garda King said at this stage she was terrified, afraid for her life and trembling.

Delaney also threatened Garda Phelan, saying he knew where he lived and he would come to his house and shoot him, and blow up his house with all his family inside.

Delaney claimed he was “well-connected” to criminal gangs in Crumlin and that it would be easy for him to gets his hands on a bomb and have Gda Phelan “done in”.

He also said: “Don’t come home crying to me when I have your sister screaming,” which Garda Phelan took as a direct threat to his family.

The court heard that Gda Phelan changed his route home from work after this because he was afraid of the threats.

When Delaney was being moved to a holding cell in the Bridewell, he again threatened Garda King.

“I will get you for this, I will take you out with one bullet. I will make you pain and suffer and hurt before the bullet. I’ll be waiting for you in Swords, I’ll take five bullets out there some night and take all five of you bastards out,” he said.

Garda King was very afraid on her way home that night and said she was questioning her career in the gardaí as she had never before been threatened like that.

Delaney has three previous convictions, all for drugs offences, and was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2001.